What she saw as oily others saw as slick and impressive. Ugh.
“I need another drink,” she said, finishing the last sip of the one in her hand.
Dean pressed a hand to her forearm. “Whoa. You okay? You look mad.”
She shook her head. “Just remembered something that happened yesterday.”
“What?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Nothing.”
He looked at her warily for a second before nodding. “You want me to get that drink for you?”
“Would you?”
He laughed and shook his head at her gently. “You understand so far this has been the easiest job in the world, right?”
She frowned. She didn’t like the reminder that he worked for her. “I’ll get my own drink.”
“Hey.” One quiet, firm word and she jerked her eyes up to meet his gaze. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. No one else I’d rather fetch a drink for, or sit beside at a party.”
“Don’t spoil me now.” A reluctant smile spread across her face as they shared a look, then he nodded, his neat, white teeth set against his lower lip, his eyes half-lidded as he set his hands wide across the worn denim hugging his thighs and pushed himself up to stand.
She watched him cross to the bar, his long legs eating up the space like it was nothing. She tried to picture him naked. Another drink was probably a terrible idea. She bit her lip and giggled to herself. But that butt…seriously. And those legs. Tight muscles, long limbs, maybe a light dusting of hair in all the right places.
Not a good place to go.
She jerked her head away from where Dean was laughing with someone at the bar. She scanned the party again, trying to distract herself.
For someone so calm, he sure stirred up a decent amount of chaos inside her.
When her eyes found him again, he was striding back, and right on cue, something tugged hard deep in her belly.
He handed her a new plastic cup, cool from the ice. She took a sip. “Perfect.”
“Cheers.” He tipped his cup against hers, then quickly swallowed some of his Coke before rejoining her on the couch. “You doing okay?”
“Yep.”
“I hope this comes across as a compliment, but you seem like a totally different person than a few days ago.”
She laughed. “Thank you. Yes, I’m feeling pretty good.”
“Good.”
“Are you going to check in every day to make sure I’m not freaking out inside?”
“Yep.”
She dropped her gaze to her drink and smiled to herself. “Good.”
“But you’re tough. I think you were right. You don’t need me here.” He nudged her gently with his side, his thigh sliding against hers, and she wanted to lean into his warmth.
“Maybe I like having someone around who knows that I’m secretly crazy.”
“You’re hardly that. Secretly badass.”
“Oooh, now you’re just sweet-talking me.”
